Mail deliverer and receiver.



No. 873,527. PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

'0. FISHER. MAIL DELIVERER AND RECEIVER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, i907.

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B H. 8y I 0 MAIL DELIVERER AND RECEIVER.

APPLIOA'IQION FILED 8131 14, 1907.

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PATENTED DEG. 10,-1907.

v 0 FISHER. MAIL DBLIVERER AND RECEIVER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER FISHER, OF SLOAN, IOWA.

MAIL DELIVERER AND RECEIVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed September 4. 1907- 8eria1 No. 391.332.

desired.

An object of the invention is to provide a delivering device embodying acollapsible frame which is held open by the mail pouch, andautomatically folds or closes up in a substantially vertical plane asthe bag is removed, thus carrying the delivering mechanism out of thedanger zone.

A further object of the invention is to rovide a mail receiving devicewhich. will se curely grasp the pouch without undue shock,

. the force of impact; also and hold it as the receiving mechanismswings to a removed and inoperative position under to provide for thereversal of the receiving mechanism, whereby it is adapted to catch thepouch from either direction. i Reference is to be had to theaccompanying-drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews. Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention as applied to apost, which is usually located at the station, showing the maildeliverer in extended operative position with-the mail pouch in place;also showing in dotted outline, the delivering mechanism collapsed whenthe pouch is removed; Fig. 2 i's a plan of the mail receiver with theparts of the re ceiver disposed in operative position preparatory tocatching the pouch, and the position of the parts immediately after thepouch is caught, in dotted outline. Fig. 3 is a plan of the mailreceiver when thrown to an inoperative position, and also showing it indotted outline in a like position when it is reversed; Fig. 4 is afragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale at the point where themail receiver is attached to the post; Fig. 5 is a detail view of alatching-plate forming an element of the construction; Fig. 6 is asection on the line 66 of Fig.2; Fig. 7is a detail of construction insection of the mail receiver; Fig. 8 1s a side V16W on an enlarged scaleof rearwardly directed fork between the upper suspending device for themail pouch of the mail deliverer; and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view ofthe mail deliverer in plan.

To a post or other suitable support 10, which is usually located at thestation, I have shown my improved mail deliverer attached, the sameconsisting of a collapsible frame comprising the arms 11 and 12,respectively, arranged in a vertical plane at the top and bottom of thedevice and connected together at their inner ends by a substantiallyvertically arranged link 13, and at points therebeyond by cross-bars 14and 15, respectively.

The link 13 is figrovided with a socket 16 which is rigidly ed at asuitable point of its length and embraces the an ularlyturned end of astud 17 carried by fire supporting post. Also connecting the collapsibleframe and the post is a shoe 18 which is fulcrumed on the extended endsof the pivot connecting the arm 11 and link 13 together, the said shoebeing journaledon a bolt or other vertical axis passing into the top ofthe post, and being provided with a which is journaled a sheave 19. Aline-20, attached to the arm 11 and passing over the sheave, carries atits free end a counter-weight 21 which serves to break the fall of theframe and thus prevent shock when the frame collapses.

As shown in Fig. 2, the inner portion of the upper arm 11 is composed oftwo plates which are rigidly connected to and spaced apart by the outerportion of the arm, forming a slot for receiving the upper ends of thelink 13 and cross-bar 15.

The arm 12 is jointed at a point intermediate its length, as shown indetail in Fig. 9,

cating one portion of the arm as shown in said figure. The arm 12 isalso provided with a side-bar 22 having a projection 23 at its forwardextremity overhanging the outer portion ofthe arm and adapted to contacttherewith when the jointed sections of the arm are brought intoalinement. The sidebar 22 is the only portion of the arm 12 whichconnects with the link 13, and the inner jointed portion of this arm isthe only part thereof which connects with the cross-bar 14. The lowerextremity of the cross-bar 15 passes between the cross-bar 22 and theinner jointed portion of the arm 12, and is pivotally connected to both.By this conthis being preferably accomplished by bifurup in the manneras illustrated in dotted outline in Fig. 1, thus carrying the frame to aremoved position and out of the danger zone.

For attaching the opposite ends of the mail pouch to the arms 11 and 12,the extremities of each are respectively provided with fingers 24 and25, the said fingers being connected by vertically arranged pivots 26,the heads of which are engaged and drawn inwardly by springs 27.

The outer end of the finger 24 carries a roller 28, against the upperperiphery of which is firmly pressed by a spring 29 a catch 30, thelatter being fulcrumed to the outer end of the spring and adapted to becarried outwardly to the dotted position shown in Fig. 8, when the pouchis forcibly removed. The finger 25 is provided with a fiat spring 31which engages directly with the handle or other fastening of the pouch.

From the construction it is seen that the receiver has a limited lateralpivotal movement by reason of the connections 16 and 18 with the post orother support 10, which permits of the tension by reason of the actionof the springs he pivot bolts 26of the fingers 24 and 25, respectively.This force tending thereby hold the bag in the path of the mail catchercarried by the train.

Attached to the post 10, preferably below the mail deliverer, is myimproved mail receiver, comprising a frame which is composed of anoff-set lever 32, the outer end of which is bifurcated or composed oftwo plates spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 6, which receive and arepivoted to bars 33 and 34 arranged in substantial parallelism andpivoted at their outer ends to an arm 35 a like arm 36 having abifurcated 'inner end pivoted to the bar 33, and slidably receiving thebar 34 serves in connection with the arm 35 to automatically embrace thepouch when it is forcibly projected therebetween.

As shown in Fig. 2, the arm 36 is extended beyond the bar 33 where it isconnected h the arm 34 through the intermediary of a link 37. The boltor other device which in Fig. 7,' the said plate being composed of twothicknesses of metal, one of which is curved about the outer end of theother, forming a guide-way which recelves a spring-arm 39, t

e said arm being pivoted to the link 37 and having a hooked an adjacentoperating handle This hooked end of the arm is adapted to engage withina notch in the lever 32 and provide a latch for preventing theaccidental separation of the arms when in embrace with the pouch.

The connection between the the mail receiving frame is effected. bypivoting the inner end of the off-set lever 32 between the ears of abearing-plate 41 which is adapted. to swing in a vertical plane on apivot bolt 42, the latter also passing through a fixed bearing-plate 43arranged in contact with the plate 41 at the rear of the post and aplate 44 at the front of the post having extended portions provided.with angular-lyturned extremities 45, the latter being adapted toalternately engage, as the receiver is reversed, with the hooked end ofa locking lever 46 pivoted to the lever 32, as shown in detail in Fig.6. The lever 46 is extended into the path of the inner end of the arm 36which operates to disengage the latching or locking end of the leverfrom one of the projections 45 at about arm 39 engages the lever 32, andlocks the arms in embrace with the pouch; thereafter permitting theframe, which is at this time in the dotted position shown in Fig. 2,swinging in its entirety 7 lever 32 with the plate 41, thus carrying theentire mechanism to the-rear of the post, as shown in Fig. 3.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the bearing-plates 41 and 43 are bifurcated. atboth. ends and a locking lever 47 is pivoted in the bifurcation of theplate 41 at one end. his lever 47 is provided with a pin 48 which. isadapted to e swung to the inner face of the plate 43 when thebifurcations in the two bearingplates aline, thus'locking the plate 41against pivotal movement. WV hen the receiving frame is swung to thefront of the post as when placing it in operative position, as shown inFig. 2, the o'lf-set portion of the lever 32 passes within thebifurcations of the plates 41 and 43, not engaged by the locking lever47, which provides a stop for the frame when in the required forwardposition. .ln shifting the receiving mechanism to catch pouches movingin the opposite direction, the frame is thrown to the rear of the postand the locking lever disengaged from the plate 43, after which theinner frame is revolved one hundred and eighty degrees on the bolt 42which brings the locking lever 47 into register with the bifurcation inthe opposite end of the plate 43. The frame when now swung to the frontof the post will have the arms directed. in the opposite direction.

I have shown my improved mail deliverer andreceiver as applied to a postfor the convenience of illustrating the construction and its operation.It is, however, ap n'trent that with slight modification the receivingand de post 10 and the same time the spring on the pivot cimnecting the9 which the pouc livering devices may be also applied to the mail car orother parts of the train and coact with my improved deliverer andreceiver, respectively, carried by the post, and-operate to deliver anddischarge pouches to and from the train while the latter is in motion.

The mail deliverer and receiver as shown and described while being thepreferred practical embodiment of my invention may obviously be modifiedin its detailed construction, and I consider myself entitled to suchchanges as fall within the scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a mail pouch deliverer, a frame adapted to be held in an extendedposition by the pouch, means adapting said frame to collapse in asubstantially vertical plane whenthe pouch is removed, andcounter-balancing means for breaking the fall of the said frame when itcollapses.

2. In a mail pouch deliverer, arms for holding the pouch, one of whichis composed of two jointed sections and a side-bar having a projectionoverhanging one of said sections, cross-bars connecting said armstogether, and means for pivotally supporting said arms.

3. In a mail pouch deliverer, arms for supporting the pouch, cross-barsand a link connecting said arms together, and means carried by the linkfor pivotally attaching the arms. 4

4. In a mail pouch deliverer, arms, one of which is composed of twojointed sections and a side-bar having a projection overhanging one ofsaid sections, a bar pivoted to the other of said sections and to theotherarm, a second bar pivoted to the side-bar and to one of saidsections at one end and pivoted at its opposite end to the other arm, alink connecting the last-named arm with the said bar, and means carriedby the link for pivotally attaching the arm.

5. In a mail is ada ted to be applied having a roller journale in itsouter end, a spring attached to said finger, and a latch pivoted in thefree end of said spring and normally forced into contact with thecircumference of said roller.

6. In a mail pouch deliverer, arms arranged in a substantially verticalplane for supporting the pouch, one of said arms being composed of twosections jointed together and a side-bar, a link and cross-barsconnecting said arms together, and means for pivotally connecting saidarms, cross-bars and link, whereby they are adapted to swing laterally.

7. In a mail pouch receiver, asWinging frame having arms for embracingthe pouch, means forlocking the frame against swingouch deliverer, afinger to ing movement, means for locking the arms as they close aboutthe pouch, and means for thereafter automatically unlocking the frame.

8. In a mail pouch receiver, a support, a frame pivoted. to said supporthaving arms for embracing the pouch, means adapting said frame to swingin a substantially horizontal plane from the front to the rear of thesupport as the arms embrace the pouch, and means for revolving saidframe in a vertical plane at the rear of the support,whereby the armsmay be disposed at the front thereof in either direction.

9. In a mail pouch receiver, a support, a frame pivoted to said supporthaving arms for embracing the pouch, means adapting said frame toswingin a substantially horizontal plane from the front to the rear ofthe support as the arms embrace the pouch, means for revolving saidframe in a vertical plane at the rear of the support, whereby the armsmay be disposed at the front thereof in. either direction, and means forlocking the frame at either side of the support with the arms inoperative position.

10. In a mail ouch receiver,- a pivotally mounted frame aving arms forembracing the pouch, means for locking the frame when the arms aredisposed in operative position, means for automatically locking the armsas they embrace the pouch, and means for thereafter automaticallyunlocking the frame,

whereby it is adapted to swing on its pivot. 11. In a mail pouchreceiver, a pivotally mounted frame having arms for embracing the pouch,means for locking the frame against pivotal movement, means forautomatically locking the arms in embrace with the pouch as the latterpasses therebetween, and means thereafter unlocking said frame, wherebyit is adapted to swing on its pivot.

12. In a mail ouch receiver, a pivotally supported lever, ars pivoted tosaid lever, a

ouch-embracing arm pivoted to both of said bars, a secondpouch-embracing arm ivoted to one of said bars, and a link pivota lyconnecting the other of said bars with the lastnamed arm.

13. In a mail pouch receiver, a lever, bars pivoted to said lever, apouch-embracing arm ivoted to said bars, a second pouch-embracing armcoacting with the first pivoted to one of said bars, a link connectingthe other of said bars with the last-named arm, and means attached tosaid link adapted to engage with said lever and lock said arms when theya proach each other.

14. In a mail pouch receiver, a lever, bars pivoted to said lever, apouch-embracing arm pivoted to both of said bars, a secondpouchembracing arm coacting with the first and pivoted to one of saidbars, a link connecting the other of said bars with the last-named arm,a spring-arm carried by said link for engaging said lever and lockingsaid arms when they approach each other, a locking lever for locking thefirst-named lever against movement, and means adapting said lever to beautomatically unlocked by the movement of said arms.

15. In a mail pouch receiver, a support having a fixed bearing-plateprovided with bifurcated opposite ends, a second bearingplate pivoted tothe support in contact with the first-named plate having the oppositeends thereof likewise bifurcated, a frame pivoted to the pivoted.bearing-plate having pouch-embracing arms, and a locking leveroperatingwithin the bifurcations of said plates for locking the arms ateither side of said support.

16. In a mail pouch receiver, a support, a frame connected with saidsupport adapted to be swung in a substantially horizontal and in avertical plane, arms for embracing the pouch forming a part of saidframe, means for locking the frame to either side of said support,whereby the direction of said arms may be reversed, and means forlocking said arms when they approach each other.

17. In a mail pouch receiver, a support, a plate having extensionsprovided with anguar extremities carried by the front of said support, abearing-plate fixed at the opposite side of said support, a secondbearing-plate revoluble in a substantially vertical plane with respectto the first-named bearing-plate, a frame pivoted to the revolublebearingplate having pouch-embracing arms, means for locking the saidplates together when the frame is disposed in a substantially horizontalposition, and a locking lever forming an element of said frame adaptedto alternately engage with the angular extremities of the first-namedplate when the frame is disposed at the opposite sides of the support.

18. In a mail pouch receiver, a lever, bars pivoted to said lever, apouche1nbracing arm pivoted to said bars, a second pouch-embracing armpivoted to one of said bars, a link connecting the other of said barswith. the last-named arm, a bearing-plate carried by the link, and aspring-arm connected with said link and passing through. saidbearingplate adapted to engage with said lever and ,lock said arms asthe arms are brought together.

19. In a mail pouch receiver, a support, a frame pivoted to said supportadapted to swing in a substantially horizontal plane and having arms forembracing the pouch, and means adapting said frame to be revolved in. asubstantially vertical plane on said support, whereby the said arms maybe reversed and directed in opposite directions at the opposite sides ofsaid support.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

omvnu Frsnn 1r. Nitnesses:

S. L. FRISBIE, O. L. OLsoN.

